BY UMMU ABUBAKAR
GOVERNOR AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, on Friday, indicated the state government’s plan to revoke the law awarding pension to former governors and deputy governors of the state.
The governor announced in a series of tweets that he would be sending a bill to the state House of Assembly to this effect next week.
His announcement comes on the heels of a similar pronouncement by his counterpart in Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“In line with our campaign mantra and the yearnings of our people, next week, I will be sending a bill to the State House of Assembly to revoke the law awarding pension packages to former governors and former deputy governors in Kwara State,” AbdulRazaq tweeted.
“Our state needs all the resources it can get to improve our human capital development. I believe our limited resources are better spent on tackling the question of poverty and youth unemployment,” he added.
The Point had reported that Sanwo-Olu announced his decision to repeal the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007), which provides for payment of pension and other entitlements to former Governors and their Deputies, while presenting the state’s 2021 budget to the State Assembly on Tuesday.
He said the move was in a bid to keep the cost of governance low and to signal selflessness in public service.
“Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members of the House, in light of keeping the costs of governance low and to signal selflessness in public service, we will be sending a draft executive bill to the House for the repeal of the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007), which provides for payment of pension and other entitlements to former Governors and their Deputies,” Sanwo-Olu had stated.
National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, had also commended Sanwo-Olu for the move.
Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State, said Sanwo-Olu had taken a bold step that all APC loyalists should support.
“In particular, I would also like to commend the governor for the plan to commence the repeal of the pension law giving pension packages to former governors and their deputies. This is a bold and courageous move by Mr. Governor and I wholeheartedly support him. I encourage all APC loyalists to do the same,” he tweeted.
